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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26902672">The Dream Pirate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robynx/pseuds/Robynx'>Robynx</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Guardians of Childhood &amp; Related Fandoms, Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fearlings (Guardians of Childhood), Gen, Kinda, Not Beta Read, making liberal use of the space drama from the books, shadow possesion, somewhat rectifying Bunny's personality 180 between books and movie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:14:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,430</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26902672</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robynx/pseuds/Robynx</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Heroes aren’t born heroes.<br/>Well, not most of them.<br/>In fact, hardly any of them.<br/>Sure, every once in a while, you get a truly good soul, one full of light and love and kindness who simply can’t help themselves from going out and helping others. But more often than not, heroism and opportunity find people and reshape them.<br/>Sometimes violently.<br/>Sometimes people are led into becoming heroes and protectors.<br/>Sometimes they are dragged kicking and screaming, with liberal doses of trauma thrown in for flavor.<br/>See, here’s the thing.<br/>E. Aster was of this latter variety.<br/>But the past catches us with us eventually, and when you make a deal with the devil, eventually the devil comes to collect.<br/>Aster's eventually is now.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The egg he had been painting fell from his paw and cracked, ruined.</p><p>Not that Aster noticed.</p><p>He was too busy clutching desperately at his chest as he tried to shove down the oily sensation of <em>stronger, faster, better</em> that was racing through him.</p><p>If anyone had been with him in the warren, they would have seen Aster’s markings pulsing with a black light in time with his heartbeat.</p><p> </p><p>After an eternity, the Easter Bunny managed to shove the sensation away. Panting harder than he ever did after a round the world Easter run the only thoughts he could manage were jumbled panic.</p><p>One thing was clear to him, however.</p><p>He had never actually destroyed the shadow fragment he had once gladly absorbed.</p><p>He had only managed to put it to sleep.</p><p>And now it was awake.</p><p>Awake and more tempting than Aster could ever remember it being.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>See, here’s the thing.</p><p>Heroes aren’t born heroes.</p><p>Well, not most of them.</p><p>In fact, hardly any of them.</p><p>Sure, every once in a while, you get a truly good soul, one full of light and love and kindness who simply can’t help themselves from going out and helping others. But more often than not, heroism and opportunity find people and reshape them.</p><p>Sometimes violently.</p><p>Sometimes people are led into becoming heroes and protectors.</p><p>Sometimes they are dragged kicking and screaming, with liberal doses of trauma thrown in for flavor.</p><p> </p><p>See, here’s the thing.</p><p>Aster was of this latter variety.</p><p>Protecting, sacrificing, wasting his life on other people, those were never things in his plans.</p><p>Now, granted, a large part of this came from being a stubborn, emotive, and passionate young Pooka, when the ideal standards of the race were quiet, aloof, and logical. Any human youth today could tell you all about chaffing under impossible expectations are rebelling against society. Except in Aster’s case his opportunities to denounce his culture and society were somewhat more extreme, living in the interconnected Silver Age as he was.</p><p> </p><p>See, here’s the thing.</p><p> </p><p>Aster was once one of the most feared Dream Pirate Captains in the universe.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Currently, E. Aster Bunnymund, Easter Bunny, Guardian of Childhood, Paragon of Spring, bringer of Hope, and affectionately called ‘Bunny’ by his friends, was having a rather severe panic attack.</p><p>Which in all fairness was a perfectly acceptable and even somewhat mild response to the sudden knowledge that one could be overtaken and consumed by darkness.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>Again.</p><p> </p><p>Granted, having become Bunnymund and being tied to some of the light from the creation of the universe meant that there was little risk of that happening spontaneously. No, the problem, and source of Aster’s fear (which was really just fuel for the metaphorical fire that was the shadow fragment), was in his giving in and trying to <em>use </em>the shadow fragment. </p><p> </p><p> As any recovered or recovering addict of any substance will tell you, time can dull the memory of the high, but it never truly fades, and relapses can still be triggered years after recovery.</p><p>And these are with things that give one a temporary elation with a lot of pain and drawbacks soon afterwards. T</p><p>he thing with allowing shadows to take root inside one’s self however is that they really didn’t have drawbacks, at least, not ones that you would notice while it was present. A person becomes <strong>strong</strong>, <em>fast</em>, smart,<strong><em> powerful</em></strong>.</p><p>At the cost of love, compassion, and morals.</p><p> </p><p>There’s no <em>coming down</em> either. Once the shadow’s there, it stays there.</p><p>Most would say permanently.</p><p>Most beings in the Silver age would say that any being who allowed the taint of shadows upon themselves were beyond saving and should be locked away from the rest of the universe before they were completely consumed by it an became fearlings or nightmare men.</p><p> </p><p>Hence the Golden Age.</p><p> </p><p>Truthfully, Aster would agree with this assessment. After all it had taken rather extreme events, namely the almost destruction of the universe and the obliteration of his entire race, for him to even have the chance to rid himself of his small fragment of a shadow.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>See, here’s the thing.</p><p> </p><p>In that brief moment before Aster shoved the shadow away he had felt stronger and more alive than at even the peak of his belief.</p><p>No perfect Easter Sunday belief rush would ever even come close.</p><p> </p><p>See, here’s the thing.</p><p> In this moment E. Aster Bunymund was terrified.</p><p> </p><p>See here’s the thing.</p><p> </p><p>Aster knew if this kept happening it was only a matter of time before he gave in, Bunymund or not.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The attack hit suddenly.</p><p> </p><p>They had been holding one of their now regular guardian meetings to catch up with one another, assess progress on various duties, and overall, just spend time together in a way they hadn’t in centuries. Bunny had just broken off his holiday-based bantering with North to respond to Jacks snide interjection when he felt it.</p><p>The <em>gloriousterrible</em> sensation swept through him and he collapsed onto his knees as her threw his entier beign into <em>nostopdon’t</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Vaguely he could here the other’s worried voices around him, but he couldn’t afford to expend any mental energy to understand them when he needed all his willpower to repress the shadow.</p><p> </p><p>And Aster continued to disregard the ever louder and more frantic sounds around him untill he registered someone moving in close to him. </p><p> </p><p>He panicked somewhat. Which is to say he lashed out, landing a solid blow that expelled the figure from his imidiate range.</p><p> </p><p>Now granted, this reaction was perfectly justified for someone who knew what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>After all, a shadow, even a fragment of a shadow, could spread and jump hosts. If the incoming party wasn’t aware of what was happening, which in this case they certainly weren’t, and therefor didn’t have mental and or physical bariers up the semi-sentient darkness could very well decide that a the loss of energy, power, and period of dormancy would be worth it to escape into a new host who wouldn’t try and suppress them.</p><p> </p><p>So,</p><p>                         looking at it from that perspective,</p><p>having a Pooka kick you acrost North’s Library and through a few bookcases was something to be grateful for.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Jack Frost was not grateful.</p><p> </p><p>In fact, he was rather annoyed.</p><p> </p><p>Well actually, he was worried and slightly panicked for Bunny, but he still wasn’t comfortable expressing such vulnerable emotions yet.</p><p>(That would mean admitting he was attached and that wasn’t something he was mentally healthy enough to do yet.)</p><p> </p><p>(300 years of solitude, distain, and indifference leave an impact on the psyche that can’t be fixed simply in the decade or, so he’d been a guardian. Espeshially since he worked hard to make sure no one else knew about his trauma. This behavior was, incidentally, a product of his trauma and part of what we would call a negative feedback cycle.)</p><p> </p><p>But regardless, Jack had decided that annoyance and mild anger were the best way to get the awnsers he wanted</p><p>(<em>is bunny ok, what’s going on, why did he hit me</em>)</p><p>while still mainlining a health level of self-denial about his feelings.</p><p> </p><p>“What the heck! Is your brain as scrambled as those eggs of yours!” Jack demanded as he pulled himself out of the wreckage. He stormed closer to where Bunny was collapsed, so he could <strike>get a better look at what was wrong</strike> hit him in return when Sandy’s whip shot out and pulled him away.</p><p> </p><p>Jack hadn’t been expecting that and was taken completely off guard, which in turn meant that he didn’t put up a protest when he was tossed into North (who caught him on instinct) and Tooth who had already been moved to the edge of the room.</p><p> </p><p>Jack had just recovered his wits enough to open his mouth an begin to demand an explenation when Sandy</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Started to glow?</p><p> </p><p>No, he was definitely glowing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jack hadn’t known that was possible, and, taking a quick glace upwards at North and Tooth’s flabbergasted faces, they hadn’t known Sandy could do that either. But what was realy drawing his attention was the way that Bunny was….</p><p>Was reverse glowing a thing?</p><p>Like, if a shadow could glow and still be a shadow? Because that was what seemed to be going on with Bunny.</p><p> </p><p>But then, almost as quickly as Jack had seen the strange phenominon, it stopped.</p><p>A moment later, Sandy stoped radiating light and slumped to the floor, looking worn out.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t look nearly as bad as Bunny, however.</p><p> </p><p>The Pooka was panting and heaving, one paw clutching at his chest, the other having managed to gouge marks into North’s flooring from where he’s been scrambling at the ground.</p><p> </p><p>Jack didn’t want to admit it, but he was scared. Bunny had always been the strong one, the rough and tumble take no nonsense one. And now he was obviously hurt and in pain. Almost… sick. <strike>Like his dad had been</strike></p><p> </p><p>“Bunny?” North asked hesitantly, taking a step forward, possible not even registering that Jack was still in his arms. “Are you alright.”</p><p> </p><p>Bunny let out a pained chuckle. “That’s gonna depend an awful lot on your definition of all right mate.”</p><p> </p><p>Tooth had cautiously moved in as well, hovering nervously. It looked like she was going to speak, but Jack cut her off.</p><p> </p><p>“Why did you kick me?” he demanded, scrambling out of North’s grip and storming towards the prone figure. He had every intention of yanking Bunny to his feet <strike>get him off the ground get him to stop looking hurt</strike> and demanding awnsers when Bunny spoke again, pulling himself to a cross legged seat.</p><p> </p><p>“Shit, that was you? I’m sorry Frostbite, really, it’s just…” Bunny paused trailing of and looking pained. He seemed to be having a mental battel with himself befor he spoke again. “Listen, if… if that ever happens again while you’re nearby, you have to stay away from me. It’s dangerouse for you to get close.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why!” Jack demanded, invading Bunny’s personal space. <strike>Making sure he was still there still breathing still ok</strike></p><p> </p><p>“Look, Jack, it’s hard to explain but you need to trust me—”</p><p> </p><p>“So, we’re just supposed to watch while you sit there screaming!”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Bunny blinked, taken aback.</p><p>He hadn’t realized he’d been screaming.</p><p>A distant part of him acknowledged that this made perfect sense. After all he’s watched plenty of victims,</p><p><em>his</em> victims,</p><p>screaming as the shadows consumed them. There was a sort of poetic justice that had him on the other end of that now. Unfortunately, none of that insight helped him deal with the pissed of winter spirit curently snarling in his face.</p><p> </p><p>“I, I didn’t realize I was screamin’,” Bunny admitted, “Sorry if I scared ya’ frostbite. It won’t happen again.”</p><p> </p><p>It would.</p><p> </p><p>Bunny was the Guardian of Hope, but some things were simply fact. But he could make sure that he wasn’t around any of the other Guardians, and especially that he wasn’t around Jack, when his,</p><p> </p><p> <em>the</em>, <strike>(not mine, not me)</strike></p><p> <strong><em>his</em></strong>, <strike>(take <em>responsibility</em> Aster)</strike></p><p>shadow flared up again.</p><p> </p><p>The least he could do was make sure that Jack didn’t get caught up in his mess.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not the point!” Jack snarled, looking like he was gearing up for a full-blown fight. A fight Bunny was in no state to deal with, luckily Toothina swept in, effectively putting the confrontation on hold.</p><p> </p><p>“Bunny, what was that?” She asked tentatively, “You were obviously in pain but…”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nothin’ Shelia.” Bunny replied, forcing his best carefree smile onto his face. He had the sinking suspicion it looked more like a pained grimace. A suspicion only reinforced by the way Tooth’s wings drooped at the action.</p><p> </p><p>“Bunny collapsing and putting holes in floor is not nothing, ya?” North interjected, “We are friends, no? So, talk to us, let us help.”</p><p> </p><p>Bunny just stared at the other Guardians. What was he supposed to say?</p><p>‘Hey, remember how our job is to protect <strike>people</strike> kids from things that would <strike>rip out their hopes and dreams and leave them as hollow shells</strike> hurt them?</p><p>Yah, well truth is I’m one of those things and it’s only a matter of time before I snap.’</p><p> </p><p>Somehow Bunny didn’t think that would go over well.</p><p> </p><p>He was distracted from his thoughts by Sanderson slowly getting back to his feet. Bunny couldn’t help the spike of guilt that raced through him. Sandy wasn’t a wishing star anymore and pulling up a glow that powerful must have taken a tremendous amount of energy. He opened his mouth to apologize to the Sandman, but Sandy beat him to it. Above his head he formed a single image.</p><p> </p><p>A skull and crossbones.</p><p> </p><p>Bunny couldn’t help flinching back, head down.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Sanderson wanted to be wrong.</p><p> </p><p>He wished, desperately and deeply, that he was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>But he didn’t belive he was wrong,</p><p>and he wasn’t a wishing star anymore.</p><p>He watched Aster flinch; admitting the truth in a way no words could.</p><p> </p><p>A thousand emotions and thoughts were flickering through his head, and he was aware, distantly, that his sand was trying to manifest them to the others and failing utterly in keeping up.</p><p> </p><p>The one that kept coming back, however, was betrayal.</p><p> </p><p>Sandy felt a cold rage start to settle into his gut.</p><p> </p><p>How dare he.</p><p>How <strong><em>dare</em></strong> he.</p><p> </p><p>What in the stars had Aster been doing? What had he been thinking? Why would he go back to– to <strong><em>THAT</em></strong>? And why now? Now when everything was good and they were truly happy for the first time since had crashed on this planet.</p><p> </p><p>Aster’s planet.</p><p> </p><p>Sandy felt his fists start to tremble as he slowly lifted himself back into the air.</p><p> </p><p>That just made it all the worse, didn’t it?</p><p>Bunnymund was tied to earth, to the life on it.</p><p>By messing around with shadows again, by tempting fate like he had obviously been, he was risking the safty and light of every single being on the entier planet!</p><p> </p><p>Sanderson wanted to know <strong><em>why</em></strong>.</p><p> </p><p>He wanted to scream and rage and howl at Aster and demand an explenation.</p><p> </p><p>But he hadn’t had a voice in a long, long time and his sand was trapped in a twisting maelstrom that he couldn’t summon up the mental clarity or willpower to pull it out of.</p><p> </p><p>So he did the only thing he could think of to try and express everything that was running through his mind.</p><p> </p><p>Even with the shocked and desperate cries of “Sandy!” from the others he heard the satisfying crunch of bone as his fist made solid contact with Aster’s face.</p>
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